Lord of Prayer

Chapter 46: Chapter 41: Listen—Music to My Ears

After a two-hour discussion, a draft of the retaliation plan was finally laid on the table.

For the criminal underworld, the best form of revenge is murder.

But the who, what, and how of the killing were all questions that required detailed discussion.

Their targets weren’t a bunch of nobodies. They were equally ferocious outlaws with Ascenders, weapons, ammunition, and Alchemy Equipment. They might even possess a Forbidden Object. And that’s not to mention their complex network of connections—anyone who survives in Jinzhu has powerful backing, and a single misstep could implicate some major figure.

Those in the criminal underworld are like rats in the gutter, unable to operate in the open. They survive only because certain powerful people turn a blind eye. If they cross the line too severely, the consequences would be devastating.

Compared to a behemoth like the Star Association, which controls the very workings of the World, they were nothing more than a speck of dust. A single fully-armed elite squad could wipe them all out.

Therefore, their revenge had to be handled with extreme caution. They couldn’t afford to make a scene.

Furthermore, they had to plan in advance who could be killed and who couldn’t, who could be won over and who couldn’t, to avoid inadvertently harming the interests of some important figure.

“Let’s leave it at this for now. Snow White’s side is sure to make a move.” Birdman lit a cigar and leaned back on the sofa, his gaze falling on Zhou Chen, who was sitting beside him with his eyes closed in rest.

“All of you, leave. I want to have a proper chat with my friend here,” he said.

His men withdrew in silence.

Once everyone had left, Birdman flicked the ash from his cigar. “Alright, what did you want to talk about?”

“I want to know who I’m working for,” Zhou Chen asked, getting straight to the point.

Birdman shook his head. “I can’t tell you. It’s not time yet.”

Zhou Chen’s tone was laced with displeasure. “Even after becoming an Ascender, I’m still not qualified?”

“That’s not my call to make.”

Birdman spread his hands in a helpless gesture. “You haven’t earned our trust yet. Who knows if you’ll go back and report this? Besides, you’re an Ascender now. Your value has shot up a hundredfold. The Star Association will most likely cut you some slack.”

He paused, then said teasingly, “They might even let you atone for your crimes by having you come back as a mole.”

…Zhou Chen feigned a moment of contemplation, his voice flat. “You know I desperately need ’that thing.’ The Star Association can’t give me what I need to survive.”

“Of course I know.” Birdman took a drag from his cigar and shrugged. “But trust isn’t built overnight. At the end of the day, your identity is just too sensitive.”

Zhou Chen sighed inwardly. ’This Star Association cover has become a real hindrance. If I’d disguised myself as a common street punk, I might have been promoted to a minor boss by now.’

“Don’t worry, we’ve been watching your performance. You’ll get everything you’re owed… We’ll let it slide this time since you already exchanged your payment for equipment.

I’ll contact you for the next mission. It’ll be in the next few days. I assume you want revenge, right?”

Zhou Chen nodded, his gaze darkening, radiating a bone-chilling cold. “I’m the type to hold a grudge. So you’d better find me a few bosses to kill.”

“Haha, you really are confident, aren’t you?” Birdman grinned. “Looks like you awakened some incredible Extraordinary Ability… I won’t ask for specifics. You can tell me when you’re ready. Everyone’s entitled to a few little secrets, right?”

With that, he lifted his wrist to check his watch. “It’s getting late. You really should head back, or the Star Association will get suspicious. Remember to come up with a cover story for your awakening beforehand. I’d rather not get news tonight that you’ve been thrown in prison.”

This time, Birdman was genuinely trying to get rid of him. Zhou Chen took the hint, getting up and leaving the nightclub under the respectful escort of one of the men.

After Zhou Chen left, Birdman pulled out his phone and dialed an encrypted number.

“He seems fine. A couple more quizzes and he’ll be ready for the final exam.

—He’s got some serious aggression, though. The nihilism from his fragmented Soul must have really tormented him.”

“That’s for the best. A promising specimen like him must be cultivated carefully. Keep him under surveillance. We have to recruit him. He will be a crucial piece for us to plant inside the Star Association.”

A muffled voice came from the other end of the line. “How is that business coming along?”

“I’ve secured the ship. It’s completely safe. We’re just waiting for Cyan Whale to deliver the package,” Birdman answered.

“We’ll have to wait a little longer. That thing is vicious. We never should have broken the seal. Now the Curses are all tangled up like a ball of yarn, and it’s getting hard to suppress. Cyan Whale is still trying to figure something out,” the person on the other end of the line sighed.

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「Back at his Star Association dorm.」

Zhou Chen took a long, comfortable hot shower, not giving a single thought to Birdman’s advice about fabricating a cover story for his awakening.

’Life as a double agent is pretty sweet.’

After half an hour of Meditation, he was roused by Jiang Che’s voice.

“I found them. Both Birdman and Snow White have moles in their crews. They’re the ones who secretly sold the intel about the deal.”

Jiang Che’s voice carried a hint of exhaustion. “One is among Jinzhu’s biggest smugglers, and the other is the largest supplier of illegal drugs. If they joined forces, it would seriously disrupt the region’s criminal enterprises. A lot of people don’t want to see that happen, which is why they attacked the meeting. They planned to kill everyone involved in the deal to make Birdman and Snow White suspect each other and call off their partnership.”

“So I’m not the only part-time double agent around. And here I thought their core members were so loyal,” Zhou Chen realized.

’Was it a mistake to trust a bunch of outlaws?’

“Did you identify the mastermind behind it all?”

“Don’t worry about him. I’ll handle it.”

’Huh… Is it really someone that important?’

Zhou Chen knew better than to press the issue. Since Jiang Che said she would handle it, he wasn’t about to go looking for trouble.

’Being a double agent is tiring enough. No need to make more work for myself.’

“By the way,” Zhou Chen began, stroking his chin thoughtfully, “what if we did a little maneuvering behind the scenes? We could leak Birdman’s retaliation plan to other gangs, give them a chance to take him out. Then, with the organization leaderless, could I seize the opportunity to take his place?”

“Impossible. You haven’t earned Eternal Fire’s trust yet,” Jiang Che said coolly. “If you want to backstab him, wait until you’ve been fully accepted by Eternal Fire. Then you can take Birdman’s position as a matter of course.”

“Good point. Still, it’s a shame to waste this opportunity.”

Zhou Chen sighed. “A gang war, Birdman gets whacked… It has such a nice ring to it!”

“A shame. A real shame.”

Jiang Che didn’t reply.

Zhou Chen glanced at the time on his phone. It was already 3:20 AM.

“You should get some rest,” he said suddenly. “You’re not an Ascender. Your body can’t take this kind of strain.”

“…”

Jiang Che was silent for a moment, then gave a noncommittal “mhm.”

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